Tie rack gripper



May 28, 1957 J. HESSEL 2,793,763

TIE RACK GRIPPER Filed July 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l /4 dose 0h f/exwe/ INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY May 28, 1957 J. HESSEL TIE RACK GRIPPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9, 1954 INVENTOR.

BY 9M Q. WW

do; e ah Hess e ATTORNEY United States Patent TIE RACK GRIPPER Joseph He ssel, San Antonio, Tex. Application July 9, 1954, Serial No. 442,256 2 Claims. (Cl. z11 -124 This invention relates to improvements in display racks for neck ties and, more particularly, to a tie rack gripper adapted for mounting on a conventional neck tie display rack of longitudinal or circular configuration in order to firmly hold the ties in place thereon.

Heretofore it has been customary to provide on store display counters, show cases or the like, tie racks consisting primarily of a horizontal, longitudinal or circular bar having separating members or dividers extending transversely therefrom throughout its length so that ties may be hung over the bar between such dividers but with nothing to hold the ties in place thereon. With this arrangement, difliculty was encountered because of the slipping and sliding of the ties from place when inspected by the stores customers. Further, particularly because one end of a tie is usually wider and heavier than the other, ties may fall from the rack without even being handled. This often resulted in the ties being left in disarray on the rack or even on the counter and the surrounding area.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a tie rack gripper having resilient hold-down means by which the neck ties may be held in place on a display rack in a manner wherein it becomes difiicult for them to slip off the divided tie holding bar over which they are hung.

.It is a further object of my invention to provide a tie rack gripper which'is simple in construction, reliablein operation, and which can be manufactured economically.

With these objects in mind I have shown and described, for purposes of illustration, several embodiments of my tie rack gripper invention, all of which are part of my generic nventive concept.

In carrying out my invention ,1 utilize a conventional dlsplay type neck tie rack which may be mounted on a stand or extended in cantilever fashion from a wall or column. A display rack of this type generally includes a horizontal bar, which may be longitudinal or annular, having a series of vertically extending separating members or dividers spaced along its length so the ties may be draped over the bar and arranged between said dividers.

My tie rack gripper is adapted to be mounted on the tiesupporting bar of the tie rack in order to secure the neck ties against movement, and comprises a horizontal suspension member adapted to guide a series of spring urged pressure members against the ties arranged thereunder. The pressure members are arranged so that each one is located in a space between two adjacent separating members. Each pressure member is individually slidable in the suspension member and spring urged toward the bar so that ties hanging over the bar, and arranged under the pressure members, will be kept in neat array and held against slipping or sliding.

The features of my invention which I believe to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a tie rack and my tie rack gripper; Fig. 2 is a partial end view of the tie rack and tie rack gripper taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section view of the tie rack and tie rack gripper taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a partial oblique view of the tie rack and tie rack gripper showing neck ties arranged under the hold-down means; Fig. 5 is a partial oblique view of a tie rack and tie rack gripper showing a modified mounting means; Fig. 6 is a top view of a modified form of my tie rack gripper; and Fig. 7 is a section view taken along line 77 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4, there is shown a conventional tie display rack including a base 1, a vertical supporting rod 2 and a horizontal bar 3. Spaced along the length of horizontal bar 3 is a series of vertically extending separating members or dividers 4, defining a series of tie receiving recesses therebetween. The separating members or dividers may be wooden pegs, wire, plastic lugs, or the like. The spaces between the dividers 4 are only slightly larger than the width of the collar-encircling portion of a neck tie T so the neck ties may be hung or draped over the bar 3 one on top of the other in neat stacks.

Adaptedfor mounting on the bar 3 in spaced, parallel relation thereto is a suspension member 5. The suspension member 5 comprises a longitudinal strip of metal, plastic or the like preferably having the side edges thereof directed downwardly as at 6 and thence inwardly to form a guide member 7, the function of which will be hereinafter discussed. Spaced along the length of the suspension member 5 is a series of pairs of longitudinal parallel slots 8. When the suspension member 5 is in operative position over the tie-supporting bar 3 each pair of slots 8 will extend longitudinally of the suspension member 5 above a tie receiving recess between adjacent separating members 4. Receivable in each pair of slots 8 is a pressure-member 10 comprising an inverted U-shaped member, which has parallel, downwardly extending sides 11 interconnected by the top portion 12, and a bottom plate 14. The U-shaped member is suspended above bar 3 by inserting the sides 11 thereof into opposing slots 8 until the. top portion 12 engages and rests on suspension member 5.' The lower extremities of sides 11 are upturned as at 13 to present a channelway for the reception of concommitant down-turned edges 15 of bottom plate 14. Thus, when the bottom plate 14 is slidably attached to the lower ends of the sides 11,'a complete box-like pressure member 10 is presented. The slid-' ing movement of pressure member 10 in slots 8 will necessarily be substantially vertical due to the presence of the inwardly directed guide member 7 (Fig. 3) having similar slots 8 underlying the slots on the top of suspension member 5. Each bottom plate 14 has an upwardly extending central ridge 16 having a hole 19 therein for the reception of one end of a compression spring 17 which is similarly secured to the suspension bracket 5 as shown at 18. Thus the bottom plate 14 is constantly urged away from the suspension member and into engagement with the tie supporting bar 3 by the compression spring 17 but may be separated therefrom to insert ties between the dividers 4. It is apparent, that while I have illustrated a compression spring 17, any resilient member, such as rubber or a bellows type member, may be used to downwardly bias the pressure member 10. The ties T may be draped or hung over the bar 3 with both ends suspended therefrom. As a further adaptation my tie rack gripper may be secured, as by clamping, to the back of a show case or counter so that the ties may be transversely folded intermediate their ends and inserted under the pressure member 10 (Fig. 4) in which case the ties will lay across the top of the counter. In either event, the spring 17 will exert enough pressure to clamp the ties in place to prevent them from sliding or slipping.

Integrally formed on suspension member at each end thereof are downwardly extending plates 20 having substantially cylindrical friction clamps 21 formed thereon. The friction clamps 21 are adapted to be slidably received on the separating members 4 at each end of the bar 3 to se cure the suspension member 5 to the bar 3 in operative relationship therewith. The downwardly extending plate 20 should 'be secured to the tie rack by means of screws, or the like, or ifpreferred, a resilient member, such as spring 22, may be employed to provide for yielding movement between the suspension member 5 and the tie rack bar -3. Wires 22a are integral with the spring 22 at opposite ends thereof, and are hooked through a hole 220 in outwardly extending portions 21b. Preferably, an additional friction clamp 21 is provided intermediate the ends of the suspension member 5, the central clamp being mounted on a slide 21c for longitudinal adjustment to any position along the tie rack bar 3 before the pressure members are inserted. It is further apparent, as shown in Fig. 5, that a downwardlyextending portion 23 may be formed integral with the suspension memberS and secured directly to the tie rack bar 3 as by a screw 24. It is understood that I am not limited to any particular manner of mounting the suspension member 5 but have shown these attaching means merely by way of illustration.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, there is shown a modified form of suspension member 30 comprising longitudinally adjustable cooperating elements 31 and 32. The element 31 comprises a longitudinal strip of metal, plastic or the like having side edges which extend downwardly as at 33 and thence inwardly as at'34. As in the previous embodiment, a series of pairs of slots 35 are spaced along the length of the member 31 for the reception of pressure members 10. Longitudinally and slidably engaged with member 31 so as to present an extendable suspension member 30, is cooperating member 32. The member 32 is a long fork-like member having a continuous end portion 36 with two side angle extensions 37 and a flat central extension 38. As best shown in Fig. 7, the side angle extensions 37 are slidably receivable within the downturned edge portions 33, 34 of member 31 while the flat central extension 38 is in sliding engagement with the under-surface of the member 31. Thus, it is apparent that by sliding the member 32 relative to the member 31 the suspension member 30 may be extended to fit tie rack bars of many different lengths. Again, as in the previous modifications mounting means 21- are provided for securing the suspension member 30 to a neck tie rack.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular construction thereof, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may make many modifications. Therefore, I contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. For use with a necktie display rack or the like having a horizontal tie-supporting bar with spaced, vertical dividers extending upwardly therefrom to define a series of tie-receiving recesses between adjacent dividers along the length of said bar, a tie hold-down device comprising an elongate suspension member, a plurality of gripping members carried by said suspension member, each of said gripping members being adapted to engage one of said dividers to removably mount said suspension member on said tie-supporting bar in parallel relation thereto, said suspension member having a plurality of pairs of parallel slots disposed along the length thereof with each pair of said parallel slots being adapted when said suspension member is mounted on said tie-supporting bar to overlie and substantially span one of said tie-receiving recesses, a series of four sided, box-like pressure members suspended from-said suspension member by engagement of the top of said pressure member therewith, each of said pressure members being adapted to occupy oneof said tie-receiving'recesses, the vertical side of eachof said pressure members being slidably received in a pair of said parallel slots, resilient means mounted between the bottom ofsaid pressure member and said suspension member to bias said pressure member downwardly, and means on said suspension member to guide the movement of said vertical sides in a substantially vertical path.

2. A tie'hold-down device asdefined in claim 1 wherein said suspension member comprises a-plurality of relatively slidable, inter-engaging elements to longitudinally adjust said suspension member for mounting-on tie-supporting bars of various lengths.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,335,030 Rotheraine Nov. 23, 1943 2,440,024 Schwiering Apr. 20, 1948 2,458,820 Zimmermann .Tan. 11, 1949 2,633,995 Edelheit Apr. 7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 46,383 Switzerland ..Dec. 5, 1908 752,660 France July 24, 1933 

